Amsterdam - City of Tulips and Pancakes – Part 1

A unique urban landscape

In the 17th century when the city planned out its urban structure with rings of canals, it became one of the most unique urban landscapes in the world. In 2010, the rings of canals were protected as a cultural landmark and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Amsterdam encompasses over one hundred kilometres of canals, specifically 165 different canals, approximately 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. The four most important canals, the Herengracht, the Prinsengracht, the Keizersgracht and the Singel, were built in the 17th century and together they formed rings that were connected by the city centre. The area is known as the Grachtengordel. 1,550 monumental buildings are scattered along the main canals.

Culture and lifestyle

Amsterdam consists of districts, which are divided into neighbourhoods. These, together with the districts of Old Side and New Side, including Dam Square and De Wallen (Red-Light District), form the oldest part of the city. The world-famous canals are a variant of the semi-circular grachten built in the old town. The Jordaan district is full of boutiques, bars and restaurants, while Oud-Zuid (Old South) is the most popular neighbourhood with streets of small shops and famous museums. Oud-West (Old West), known for its numerous hotels, restaurants and bars and its cultural centre, De Hallen, includes artistic production and artisanal products as well as street food, where everyone can afford a real gourmet experience.

In the western part of the canal ring is Jordaan, the city’s most famous neighbourhood. It’s simply a neighbourhood with hidden courtyards, vibrant bars, galleries and wonderful shopping areas. Westergasfabriek is a combination of a quiet city park and an attractive cultural playground.

Ever since the 18th century, the residents of Amsterdam have been spending their free time in city parks. Anyone can relax in one of more than thirty city parks, which attract approximately nine million tourists each year. There are many interesting green areas and beaches, which are more than ideal for sports activities, picnics, sunbathing, concerts or festivals.

The Oud-Zuid (Old South) neighbourhood, distinguished by an excellent style with a decadent combination of a cultural and shopping centre, is known for being the centre of culture and high-end shops. The heart of the neighbourhood is comprised by Vondelpark and the smaller Museumplein. The De Pijp area, where the working class used to live once, now presents itself as a multicultural environment with ethnic restaurants, trendy bars and terraces. Oud-West (Old West) prides itself on quiet streets, where short-term rental services are abundant, and interesting shops. The neighbourhood was built with sophisticated blocks of flats, cultural meeting points and large terraces. It offers an incredible number of various opportunities for culinary experiences.

Canals in the city’s southern part

There are more canals in Amsterdam than there are in Venice, and there are more bridges in the city than there are in Paris. The Grachtengordel is divided into the northern canals, which start at the Brouwersgracht and end at the Leidsestraat, and the southern canals that lead to the Amstel. There are quite a few scenic points in the area where visitors can enjoy the view over the Amstel and the wonderful Hermitage Museum. The Skinny Bridge is also relatively nearby. It’s a wooden bridge that was built in 1670 over the Amstel. There are trendy restaurants, bars and clubs in the southern part of the city.

The East - Oosterpark and Indische Buurt

Amsterdam’s eastern part is a multicultural environment which, with the help of development and rebuilding, is turning into a high-class tourism and service-oriented area. East of the Amstel, the Oosterpark neighbourhood leads to the Dapperbuurt and Indische Buurt neighbourhoods, which both play a part in reshaping the multicultural district of the city’s eastern part. Among all the inns and supermarkets where you can buy yourself a meal or food at a cheap price, there are also bars and restaurants that are often imitations of industrial monuments of the local environment. The Oosterlijk Havengebied (Eastern Docklands) district was built in the modern style and is an area where you can spot modern meeting points in a historical department store. You can also find interesting architecture on the island of Java, which boasts modern canals and charming bridges.

The North - NDSM and Noorderpark

Amsterdam’s northern part somehow deviates from reality, which can be quite relaxing for visitors. Experimental festivals, picturesque parks, beaches and trendy bars and restaurants are what’s on offer for every visitor at the other side of the IJ. Take a boat from the main station, towards the NDSM, and get off at Amsterdam’s liveliest areas that offer a wide range of various activities, such as dance and music festivals, theatre plays, art exhibitions and wine shops. The different atmosphere of the northern part of Amsterdam reflects the diversity of trendy bars and restaurants, the Pllek city beach and various parks, such as De Tolhuistuin and Noorderpark.

The Red-Light District

The famous Red-Light District, which is located in Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Achterzijds Voorburgwal, is the place of the world’s oldest profession and the city’s oldest district. In the Red Light District, visitors can visit a number of shops selling sex toys, strip clubs and brothels as well as sex museums and prostitutes in red-lit rooms that line the wonderful streets along the city’s old canals. Despite the streets urging visitors to purchase the services of the prostitutes, who sell love and make even the most hidden of the fantasies come true through carnal desire, the neighbourhood next to the Red-Light District is better known for its historical canals, bridges, canal houses and narrow streets, where people continue their daily lives from generation to generation.